Flash memory is a non-volatile memory that enables data programming and deleting in a system after the system is deployed in the field. Due to the compact size of flash memory, it is commonly used in many consumer devices, such as digital camera, cellular phone, personal digital assistant (PDA), MP3 player, audio recorder, laptop computer, television set-top box, etc. Many such consumer devices are designed to accept flash memory devices and so have a specific flash memory interface, such as a flash memory connector or slot, in which flash memory devices may be inserted. This interface controls the data flow between the host device and the flash memory.
However, the amount of data that can be stored through the flash memory interface is limited to the capacity of the flash memory device. A currently available flash memory may be able to store up to about one gigabyte (1 GB) of data, which is significantly lower than a currently available disk drive that may be able to store a few hundred gigabytes of data. Therefore, there is a need for an apparatus and method to couple a disk drive to a host device having a flash memory interface.